Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by podanotherjessi
Real Queer America: LGBT Stories from Red States by Samantha Allen
hopeful
fast-paced
This reads almost more as memoir than deep research, which is not a criticism but simply setting expectations. I really enjoyed Allen's journey, learning both about her own relationship to various places and the people she meets.
This book does answer the question "why would queer people choose to live in red states?" ....kind of. It does provide reasons why queer people would choose not to leave those states. Lower cost of living, tighter community, the ability to enact significant change... And none of it seems super revolutionary, but it does feel like it needed to be said. But really, this book feels more like a plea to media and other queer people to not treat conservative place in the US like a desolate wasteland where it's impossible to be out and proud, and I think Allen accomplishes that very well.
But I would be remiss to not address the fact that this book is far from comprehensive. When I think "red state," I can't say very liberal and urban Atlanta is the first thing that comes to mind. Allen's focus is on liberal havens in red states, urban communities where even if the state votes red, maybe the county doesn't. Where the population is high enough that statistically, there will be a community. And while that is very valuable, it still leaves so many questions. And I'm left wondering "what's it like to be queer in Appalachia? What's it like to be queer in Idaho or Wyoming? What's it like to be queer not only in a red state, but in a red county or red township with not even the one gay bar?"
And as a criticism less of Allen and her work and more an ongoing issue in the queer community at large... why is the first step to finding queer community in a new city to seek out the one queer club? Why must the culture center drinking and partying?
Overall, despite the flaws, this was a very good book. It's just the start of exploring and answering the questions Allen proposes, but it's a good start. And if you read it more as a narrative of Allen's journey and less of a sociology text, there's a lot to be found.
This book does answer the question "why would queer people choose to live in red states?" ....kind of. It does provide reasons why queer people would choose not to leave those states. Lower cost of living, tighter community, the ability to enact significant change... And none of it seems super revolutionary, but it does feel like it needed to be said. But really, this book feels more like a plea to media and other queer people to not treat conservative place in the US like a desolate wasteland where it's impossible to be out and proud, and I think Allen accomplishes that very well.
But I would be remiss to not address the fact that this book is far from comprehensive. When I think "red state," I can't say very liberal and urban Atlanta is the first thing that comes to mind. Allen's focus is on liberal havens in red states, urban communities where even if the state votes red, maybe the county doesn't. Where the population is high enough that statistically, there will be a community. And while that is very valuable, it still leaves so many questions. And I'm left wondering "what's it like to be queer in Appalachia? What's it like to be queer in Idaho or Wyoming? What's it like to be queer not only in a red state, but in a red county or red township with not even the one gay bar?"
And as a criticism less of Allen and her work and more an ongoing issue in the queer community at large... why is the first step to finding queer community in a new city to seek out the one queer club? Why must the culture center drinking and partying?
Overall, despite the flaws, this was a very good book. It's just the start of exploring and answering the questions Allen proposes, but it's a good start. And if you read it more as a narrative of Allen's journey and less of a sociology text, there's a lot to be found.